TORONTO, Dec. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CanadaHelps, the country's largest platform for donating and fundraising online, has released its annual year-end report today, highlighting an uptick in subscription-based giving as an increasingly popular way for Canadians to support their favourite charities. Revenues for monthly giving — which is similar to a Netflix or Spotify subscription but instead enables Canadians to support their favourite charities with a monthly contribution — have risen 11% year-over-year on CanadaHelps.org (totalling $39.5 million in donations). Despite this positive trend, donations are tracking at -2% compared to the same period last year, raising $318 million as of December 3rd.
“The rise of monthly donations is an encouraging sign that Canadians are giving strategically,” said Pattie Lovett-Reid, personal finance expert and CanadaHelps brand ambassador. “Not only does a monthly donation allow Canadians to budget their charitable donations year-round, a monthly gift also allows Canadian charities to properly plan for their programs and services year-round when they can rely on sustainable funding month after month. This is more important than ever given how tight budgets are in both households and charities across the country.”
As of December 3rd, 2023, other notable giving trends that have emerged in 2023 include:
- Donation revenue from securities on CanadaHelps.org has increased by 26%; this remains one of the most strategic ways to give as capital gains tax is eliminated on securities donations.
- More than 750,000 Canadians have donated, representing a -9% year-over-year decrease.
- On November 28th, GivingTuesday raised more than $13.6 million on CanadaHelps, which is approximately a 2% increase from 2022.
“With it being such a financially challenging year, it’s comforting to see so many Canadians give in such strategic ways such as monthly giving and donations of securities,” said Duke Chang, President and Chief Executive Officer of CanadaHelps. “It’s clear that the subscription economy is growing in Canada’s charitable sector.”
Centre Wellington, Ontario Crowned Canada’s Most Generous City
As of November 30th, Centre Wellington, Ontario was deemed to be the most generous city in Canada with 6.11% of their total population of more than 31,000 having donated to a charity using CanadaHelps this year. Following Centre Wellington to round out the top five cities are Collingwood, Ontario (5.84%); St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (5.36%); Fort Erie, Ontario (5.07%); and Whitehorse, Yukon (5.04%).
“While generosity can be measured in so many ways, including both financial and non-financial ways of giving, it’s so nice to see how a small community can come together to make a big difference,” said Chang. “While it’s important to celebrate the generosity of Canadians, we are also facing a troubling double-edged sword. As more Canadians are turning to charities for essential charitable services to get help due to the inflated cost of living, nearly two in ten Canadians are planning to give less to charities this year, likely due to the same high cost of living issue. With just a few weeks left in the year, we are calling on Canadians who are in the position to give generously this holiday season, supporting those in need and causes they care about.”
Other major cities in Canada are ranked among the country’s most generous cities. This includes Halifax in 12th position (4.03%), Ottawa in 26th position (3.47%), Toronto in 37th position (2.95%), Vancouver in 41st place (2.91%), Hamilton in 53rd place (2.62%), Calgary in 61st place (2.54%), Edmonton in 68th place (2.41%), Winnipeg in 69th place (2.35%), and Montréal in 143rd place (1.11%).
CanadaHelps Launches 12 Ways of Giving Campaign
To highlight the various creative ways that Canadians can give before December 31st, CanadaHelps is celebrating the return of its 12 Ways to Give campaign to encourage Canadians to get creative to make a difference in support of their favourite charity or cause this holiday season. Offering a variety of ways to give while keeping budget top of mind, the 12 Ways to Give includes:
- Charity Gift Card: Purchasers choose a gift card design and value, and they get a tax receipt. The recipient gets to browse more than 86,000 registered charities and can choose one or more charities to donate the funds to. The gift of a Charity Gift Card is a great last-minute stocking stuffer idea and way to get children engaged in giving.
- Launch a Fundraiser: Choose one or more charities to raise funds for and launch a fundraiser in minutes. Supporters receive an instant tax receipt and money raised is sent directly to the charity.
- Monthly Giving: Many more Canadians are experiencing the benefits of setting up a monthly donation in support of their favourite charity. Not only does it allow them to budget their donations year-round, it also helps charities better budget and plan for programs knowing they have sustainable funding. Plus, donations make an impact throughout the year.
The launch of CanadaHelps’ 12 Ways of Giving campaign follows the release of a November Ipsos poll commissioned by CanadaHelps that revealed two in ten (20%) Canadians currently rely on charities for essential services such as food, shelter and health services, which could increase to 24% of Canadians expecting to turn to charities for help over the next six months. Among Canadians who are currently turning to charities for essential services, 69% are doing so for the very first time this year.
For more information on ways to support Canadian charities, visit CanadaHelps.
Resources:
- Media resources including b-roll, the full list of Canada’s most generous cities, Ipsos polling data, images, spokesperson bio’s, and recent press releases are available for download in this online media kit.
- Phone, Zoom, or Facetime interviews can be booked with CanadaHelps. Interviews can be conducted in-person in Toronto.
About CanadaHelps:
CanadaHelps is a public foundation advancing philanthropy through technology. For Canadians, it powers CanadaHelps.org, a safe and trusted destination for discovering and supporting any charity in Canada, and UniteforChange.com, where Canadians can learn about causes and easily support the collective work of charities addressing a cause they care about. CanadaHelps also develops affordable fundraising technology used by more than 30,000 charities, and free training and education so that, regardless of size, all charities have the capacity to increase their impact and succeed in the digital age. Since 2000, more than 4.5 million people have given more than $2.8 billion through CanadaHelps. Connect with CanadaHelps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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